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Sony's Stage 6 takes on horror classic

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Newly launched Sony label Stage 6 Films has signed on to distribute the Butcher Brothers' reimagination of the 1986 horror classic "April Fool's Day," currently filming in North Carolina.

The film is the latest addition to the new banner, which operates under the umbrella of Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group.

Stage 6 plans to distribute 10-15 films per year with budgets of $10 million or less. Whether the films will be released theatrically or straight to DVD is not decided beforehand.

The new "April Fool's" revolves around a party given by two uber rich siblings, played by Taylor Cole ("Supernatural") and Josh Henderson ("Desperate Housewives"), for their friend (Scout Taylor-Compton of "Halloween"). Tragedy strikes when a friend falls over a balcony and dies. One by one, each partygoer is found dead.

Frank Mancuso Jr. and Tara Craig are producing. The Butcher Brothers team of Mitch Altieri and Phil Flores are directing. The duo, whose credits include last year's "The Hamiltons," also wrote the screenplay with Mikey Wigart.

Altieri said the new version, like the original, has some comedic moments and plays out a lot like the 1986 Fred Walton film.

"It's kind of more a twisting and turning story," he said. "There's some really good scares in there."

Added Flores, "It's pretty much contemporized, with off-beat humor, different settings -- something that would jell with today's audience."

The Butcher Bros. are represented by the Gersh Agency and Jeremy Platt at Spectacle Entertainment.

Cole is represented by Paradigm, Henderson is repped by Innovative Artists and Taylor-Compton is represented by Gersh.